Damages
by csiphile
Summary: Damage comes in many forms. Tony and Ziva find that out first hand. TIVA.
1. Fake It

Title: Damages

Rating: T (these new ratings confound me, I think T is right. I seriously just dated the last time I even posted anything.)

Pairing: TIVA

Summary: Damage comes in many forms. Tony and Ziva find that out first hand.

Well, hello again. Its been a while since I posted last (RIP Kibbs) and it took TIVA to pull me out of my self imposed semi-retirement. Well...it makes sense to me! I hope you enjoy my first multi-chapter in what has to be years, and if you dont...dont worry about reviewing. But if you do like...press the magical happy blue button at the bottom of the page and make a writer happy. Man...even my authors notes are rusty. Sigh. I promise to be a bit more...interesting next time. All chapter titles are song titles, and Ill even give you some lines at the end that inspired the song choice for the chapter. Feel free to guess the artist, I'll reveal it in the next chapter.

Before we move on, I must give HUGE thanks to my wonderful beta, M, who was probably wondering what she had gotten herself into before beta-ing this. My grammar...not so great. My grammar after not TRYING for 2 years...frightening.

Anyway...on with it. Oh, wait...almost forgot. Spoilers are possible for any ep that has aired, but for the purposes of the fic (I wrote it before it aired) Recoil never happened.

CHAPTER ONE – Fake It

She was never one for introspection; she felt it often got you in more trouble than it was worth, especially given what she had in her head to think about. But in this case, it didn't take much to uncover the motivation behind tonight's events. This was not how Mossad trained assassins acted; they were emotionless, unforgiving, never thoughtful and tortured. But she wasn't in Mossad anymore; she had stopped thinking that way somewhere in her second year at NCIS. Still, her training was always there, in the background, keeping her alert, but her personality was…less jagged. She credited her turnaround to NCIS: the lessons, the people. All of her colleagues had a hand in helping her move away from the assassin in her, but one person in particular had the greatest effect. Of course, he was also the reason she was here, staring at an unfamiliar ceiling from an unfamiliar bed, naked.

She swore under her breath in Hebrew. No matter what she did, or how hard she tried to ignore it, Tony was always in her head.

Which brought her to the night's events. She had gone out alone, needing to blow off some steam, get out of her own head for a while. And she had succeeded, perhaps a little too well. She'd spotted him across the bar, giving her appreciative glances, and she returned them. The man was handsome – tall, brown hair and eyes, muscular build and a smile that drew her in. The rest of the evening they had spent flirting and touching before she accepted his offer to come to his place. The assassin couldn't say it was the first time she'd had a one night stand, but this was different, this time her conquest was merely a substitute.

Glancing over at his sleeping form, Ziva heaved a sigh and quietly slipped out of bed. Sometimes her training came in handy; she collected her clothes from the bedroom floor and dressed in silence, and the man in the bed didn't even move.

_What the hell was his name…Taylor? Tyler? Thomas? _Ziva couldn't recall, but did it matter really?

She slipped down his apartment hall and collected more of her things from the front room. Silently she opened the deadbolt on the front door, pulled the door open just enough to squeeze her small frame out and relocked the handle, closing the door with a barely perceptible snick.

It didn't take her long to get home from Georgetown, mostly because to her, speed limits were merely suggestions. Before crawling into bed she felt compelled to shower and wash away the evening; Ziva would be perfectly happy to pretend it never happened. Snuggling down into her bed, she noted it was nearly midnight; her internal alarm would wake her at 0500. She sighed again and fell into a fitful sleep.

The next morning she came into work as usual to find Tony picking on McGee about something. Dropping her bag on the floor next to her desk, she watched the two men for a moment: McGee looked annoyed and Tony gleeful. Shaking her head, she logged into her computer and went through her normal routine of checking email before pulling up the reports she needed to complete today. Ziva was hoping she could just bury herself in the paperwork and avoid Tony. She knew it was ridiculous; Tony didn't know what she was thinking or what she had done, but she still felt compelled to communicate as little as possible with her partner.

Unfortunately he had other plans.

Upon noticing her arrival, Tony sauntered over to Ziva's desk and stood in front of her, staring intently at the Israeli, waiting for some kind of reaction. When he got none, the agent took matters into his own hands.

"Boxers or briefs?" he asked and her head instantly snapped up. Tony swore, for just a second, he saw mortification on her face.

"What?" she questioned, her default reaction of hostility taking over.

He swallowed quickly, and despite the vibe he was getting from her, continued, "McGee…you think he is a boxers or briefs kind of guy?"

She seemed to lighten a bit before settling her eyes on the third person in the area. "Boxers…"

"Ha! Told you McGee…" he sang and strolled back to his own desk, continuing to taunt the other agent.

Ziva hung her head slightly; not even 10 minutes at work at she was already acting like a fool around him. Taking a deep breath, she centered herself, determined not to be so rattled again.

Tony sat at his desk and regarded his partner. She had been acting weird for weeks now, sending cryptic comments and strange looks his way. He hadn't given it much thought, but her odd reaction to his taunting McGee made him wonder what was going on in her head.

"Get your gear!" Gibbs' voice called out, halting Tony's contemplating.

The three agents gathered their packs and followed Gibbs to the elevator.

"What do we have, boss?" McGee asked.

"Dead Marine in Georgetown."

She heaved another heavy sigh and followed Tony to the Charger; she was in no mood to return to Georgetown, but requesting not to go would raise more red flags than she was willing to deal with. So she and Tony followed Gibbs and McGee in silence through the streets of DC. Ziva was thankful the other man did not feel compelled to fill the silence as he usually did; she didn't feel like she could muster the energy to deal with a chatty Tony.

Lost in her own thoughts, Ziva didn't notice until they rounded a corner that the streets were eerily familiar to her. And a sense of dread settled firmly into her chest.

She shifted nervously in her seat and looked at Tony. "Did Gibbs say where we were going exactly?"

"You heard as much as I did, Ziva. Georgetown." He spared a glance her way and was unnerved himself to find the normally unflappable agent looking…flappable. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," she answered quickly. And there probably wasn't, but she was already on edge today and this wasn't helping. "Nothing," she whispered to herself.

And then she realized maybe it was something.

Tony made a right behind Gibbs and pulled in front of a large stone-front apartment building, where police tape was roped around a large tree.

_She parked in front of the oak tree on the street, and followed him in through the door._

Ziva twisted nervously in the seat, her uneasiness palpable.

Before opening the car door, Tony turned to her. "Seriously, what is up with you?"

"Do not worry about it, Tony." She started to get out of the car, but his hand on her arm stopped her; she looked down at her arm before looking in his eyes.

"Ziva…" his voice was soft, imploring.

"What the hell are you two doing…get over here!" Gibbs voice bellowed, saving her from answering.

She pulled from his grasp and followed Gibbs and McGee, neither of whom seemed aware anything was wrong. They entered the elevator, with Tony sliding in last.

"Floor?" he asked, one hand poised over the numbers.

_As soon as they got in the elevator, his hands were all over her, his lips crushed on hers. As the doors closed, one hand pulled away from her and pressed 3 on the panel._

"Three," Gibbs replied. _Please no, _she thought.

The doors dinged open at the third floor and Gibbs led the way. Ziva let the others pass and followed them down the hall, as if in a dream.

_He guided her down the hall, Ziva walking backwards, her body pressed against his even as they walked. Her hands were under his shirt, admiring the muscles she felt there, his were in her hair, pulling gently as he nibbled at her neck, all the while moving toward his apartment._

Gibbs walked into the apartment first.

_Her arms wrapped around him, tongue licking the skin at his neck, fingers deftly undoing the buttons of his shirt, her nails skimming the skin._

Ignoring the calls from Gibbs, she moved past him into the apartment and made an immediate right, retracing her steps from not even 12 hours ago. She could hear her boss calling her name, but ignored him. _It can not be. It can not be._

But it was. The smell of copper assaulted her nose as she approached the bedroom door.

_He threw her down on the bed and removed what was left of his shirt, throwing it to the floor. She followed suit, removing her shirt and shimmying out of her jeans, leaving her in just a bra and underwear. He stood for a moment admiring her before joining her on the bed._

The spot she had occupied was now covered in a thick coat of blood. Her one night stand was blue.

"Oh, God," she whispered.

Ducky looked up at her from his examination of the body. "Ziva, dear. You look like you've seen a ghost."

She looked at him blankly. "I think have, Ducky," she said and backed out of the room.

And literally ran into Gibbs.

"Gibbs," she started but was cut off.

"What are you doing, Officer David? You need to start sketching."

She ducked her head slightly. "Can we speak…privately?"

He gave her an exasperated look, but led the agent into the outside hall.

"Ok, you have your privacy."

"I do not think I should be here. The victim and I…" she paused at the words; Ziva really didn't think this would happen. "Have a personal connection."

Gibbs was stunned. "What? Why didn't you say something sooner?"

"I did not know."

Gibbs looked at her, confused and a bit angry. "How did you not know?"

She shifted uncomfortably. "I only met the lieutenant last night." Ziva hoped her normally astute boss would read between the lines.

She was not disappointed.

"I see." He rubbed his forehead vigorously. "Well you can't be here, obviously. Get the keys from Tony and head back; I'll take your statement when I get there."

She titled her head at him. "I was the last person to see the victim alive. You are not interviewing me now?"

He eyed her critically. "Do I need to?"

"No!"

"Then get the keys and leave, Ziva."

She headed back in the apartment but stopped and looked back at him. "I am sorry, Gibbs."

"Never apologize."

She nodded and continued in.

Tony had been watching since Ziva and Gibbs had gone into the hall. His boss looked none too happy and she looked upset. As his partner came back into the apartment he quickly turned back to sketching.

A few seconds later he was so surprised to find her standing inches away, staring at him, that he almost dropped the sketch pad.

"I need the keys." Her tone was curt, annoyed, one hand outstretched and upturned.

"What?" He was genuinely confused.

"To the Charger, Tony! The keys!"

He put his hands up in surrender. "Ok, ok." He pulled them out of his pocket. "Where's the fire?"

"Just give me the fucking keys, DiNozzo!"

Both Tony and McGee startled at her profanity. In the rare instances Ziva swore, it was always in Hebrew, never English.

Wordlessly, he dropped the keys into her palm and watched, confused, as she left the crime scene.

"Boss?" He looked to Gibbs, hoping for an explanation for Ziva's behavior.

"Get to sketching, DiNozzo."

NCIS – Abby's Lab

Gibbs had refused to say two words since they left the scene and Tony was ready to explode. There was something going on with Ziva, and clearly the boss knew, but wasn't telling. Which wasn't actually abnormal behavior, but it was still annoying. The younger agent was starting to get concerned about his partner, but couldn't figure out how or from whom to get information. The two people in the know were the most tight-lipped.

Gibbs handed over the physical evidence to Abby, the lab tech happy to have something to occupy her busy mind.

"Abs, we need to be careful on this one."

"I'm always careful, Gibbs," she protested and started filling out the chain of evidence forms.

He handed over a bloody set of sheets from the dead man's bed. "Run DNA."

She gave him a large smile. "Always."

"There will also be evidence of recent sexual activity…"

Tony's head popped up; Gibbs was good, but not that good.

"One contribution from our Marine, the other from Ziva."

And his heart sank.

tbc...

Fake It:

Who's to know if your soul will fade at all  
The one you sold to fool the world  
You lost your self-esteem along the way  
Yeah

Good god you're coming up with reasons  
Good god you're dragging it out  
Good god it's the changing of the seasons  
I feel so raped  
So follow me down

And just fake it if you're out of direction  
Fake it if you don't belong  
Fake it if you feel like affection  
Woah you're such a fucking hypocrite

And you should know that the lies won't hide your flaws  
No sense in hiding all of yours  
You gave up on your dreams along the way  
Yeah


	2. Breakdown

First, a HUGE thank you to everyone who reviewed, it is much appreciated and feel free to continue doing so, it makes my day. I also had a TON of author alerts which…yay! This chapter just sorta needs to exist to fill in some blanks. More excitement next time round! Bwhahahaha!

Second, some housecleaning I forgot about last chapter: The disclaimer. I do not own these characters (except mine) and am making zip, zero, nada in profit. I just like to take them out and play sometimes. Especially Tony.

Very nice jacey05 – Seether was our artist for last chapter. Love them. Me thinks you will get a lot of these. Onto the next!

Oh, also! Did you guys see the preview for the finale? Tony and Ziva in LA, thats gotta provide some serious entertainment, and I KNOW what the preview made it look like, but things arent always as they seem, especially with previews for next week. Then, I seriously had the following conversation with my husband (I saw the preview, he didnt):

Me: You are going to LOVE next weeks NCIS  
Him: Is Ziva in a bikini?  
Me (staring in disbelief): Yes. A very small one.  
Him: Sweet.

Moving on...I plan on posting once every 2 to 3 days. Excluding weekends. Enjoy!

Chapter TWO – Breakdown

Tony still seemed to be in a daze as they left the lab. He felt…betrayed somehow. But it wasn't like he had any right to be. Ziva was his partner -- he might dare to call her his friend -- and he knew they would do anything for each other, but that was the limit. And yet, here he was, walking into observation, his boss about to question his partner about her exploits the night before and Tony would rather have been anywhere else. Even talking to Palmer. About cats.

Looking through the window, he watched the assassin run her fingers through her straightened hair, clearly nervous. Not because she was a suspect, but because she was being forced to talk about her personal life -- something she never did. Tony had gotten glimpses into her life here and there, but very rarely did the Israeli speak openly about…anything. Her father was a particularly sore spot; it was a rare occasion she even mentioned having one. They were alike in that way.

Suddenly Gibbs walked in, and Tony nodded to the man sitting at the board, indicating it was time to turn the recording equipment on.

Gibbs sat across from his agent, file open in front of him.

"Start at the beginning."

She shifted uncomfortably. "We met at a bar." Ziva paused and composed herself. "The Main bar downtown. I got there about 9 pm, had a few drinks…alone." She emphasized the alone part. "I saw the lieutenant shortly after I got there; he bought me a drink…"

"Were you drunk?"

"No." She continued: "We talked, flirted a little, he was clearly interested…"

Tony swallowed and shifted. He really didn't want to hear this.

"I followed him home to Georgetown in my own car. We went upstairs and…" she paused, taking a deep breath, "I slept with him."

Tony's heart constricted a little bit more.

"When did you leave?" Gibbs' voice held no emotion.

"Eleven thirty. I showered and was in bed by midnight."

Gibbs looked at her with a small smile. "Ziva! The drive from Georgetown to your townhouse in Kensington takes 25 minutes."

"Perhaps the way Tony drives, yes."

That made Tony smile.

Gibbs shook his head slightly. "If I didn't know you better, that would be the worst alibi I'd ever heard."

She looked stricken. "I require an alibi?"

"No, not to us." She seemed relieved. "He was alive when you left?"

"Very much, yes. I locked the handle of the apartment door when I exited. Obviously someone broke in after I left."

Gibbs shook his head. "No evidence of a break in."

She looked lost and didn't respond.

"You're all we got, do you remember seeing anyone? Anything."

She seemed to consider this; Tony could see her thinking back, remembering.

"No, nothing."

The senior agent nodded. "Ok, you're free, head home."

"Gibbs!" she protested.

"Go home, Ziva." Each word was enunciated. "You can't be here; if you touch anything, provide a theory or even attempt to think of a theory, you could end up as the defense lawyer's reasonable doubt."

"I could assist another team…" she tried feebly.

"Ziva. Go, think. Try to remember anything that can help."

She stood angrily. "Fine, I will be cooking at home!"

Tony shook his head and whispered to himself. "Stewing, Ziva. Stewing." He left observation and met the two in the hall.

"Autopsy" was all Gibbs said, and moved in that direction.

Tony and Ziva stood for a moment, eyes locked. Something passed between them, a mix of guilt, concern, confusion and betrayal.

Breaking the contact first, Tony spun around her and followed Gibbs downstairs.

Ziva sighed and headed to her desk, collected her things and walked out the door.

AUTOPSY

With the whoosh of the autopsy doors, Gibbs started talking.

"What do you have for me, Duck?"

"I heard Ziva was with the deceased? Prior to his expiring, I presume."

"You heard right, but what I need is time of death…"

"Of course," the Scotsman cut him off, pointing at the body. "Lieutenant Larsen's cause of death is clear: his throat was cut clean through."

Gibbs nodded. "Could a woman do it?"

Ducky eyed him critically. "Do you mean could Ziva?"

"Just covering all the bases, Ducky -- we know she didn't do it."

"Yes, a woman could have with a sharp enough instrument."

Again he nodded, taking in the information. "TOD?"

"Somewhere between 11 pm and 2 am."

Gibbs sighed.

"Not the answer you were looking for, Jethro?"

"Nope. Anything else?"

"No hairs, no fingerprints, nothing."

Tony finally spoke. "Professional hit, boss?"

"Don't know, DiNozzo. A knife is uncommon for pros, but not unheard of."

"Couldn't be a frame job, no one could have predicted Ziva…" he struggled on the next words, "Ziva would be there."

"No, they couldn't."

Tony looked thoughtful. "So it's the strangest coincidence, like, ever, that a professional assassin happened to be in Larsen's apartment the same night he was killed…by a professional."

Gibbs just glared at the younger man.

"You don't believe in coincidences, boss."

"Not normally," the older agent said and quickly walked out of autopsy.

Another trip to Abby's lab yielded similar results with one exception: she had found a hair that belonged to neither the victim nor Ziva. The lab tech was in the process of retrieving and running the DNA.

Returning to the bullpen, Gibbs looked at McGee, the youngest agent charged with gathering information on Larsen. The men stood in front of the monitor as McGee went through his findings.

"Lieutenant Mitchell Larsen, an American-born Iraqi, just got back from a 6 month assignment in Iraq, was to be redeployed in 3 months to Afghanistan. Parents are dead, no siblings, no other close relatives."

"So…more nothing?" Gibbs asked harshly.

McGee just looked lost. "Nothing. But we haven't been able to locate his CO; there seems to be some confusion who he reported into."

"Don't bother…" a familiar voice called from behind the three men.

"Fornell…" Gibbs said first.

Tbc…

In your life you seem to have it all  
You seem to have control  
But deep within your soul  
You're losing it  
You never took the time  
Assume that you're to blame  
You think that you're insane  
Won't you spare me

I know the breakdown  
Everything is gonna shake now someday  
I know the breakdown  
Tell me again am i awake now maybe  
You can find the reason that no one else is living this way


	3. The Pretender

Why is the FBI involved you ask? Here is your answer! Again, a thousand thank yous to all who reviewed. Please...feel free to do so again, they really are wonderful to read and know you guys are enjoying my story.

Jayce05 – As soon as you said Tantric had a new song I went to iTunes and DLed the whole friggin album. They are just one of those bands that I don't even have to hear it…I just know it will be good. Also good…Love Song.

And I promise…next chapter is more TIVA goodness. The tasty kind.

Enjoy!

CHAPTER THREE – The Pretender

Fornell was followed by two agents -- one, to DiNozzo's dismay, was Agent Sacks. The other was a younger agent -- maybe 30, tall and dark haired -- introduced as Agent Williams.

Gibbs spoke first. "Since you are here, Fornell, I'm assuming that there is something we don't know. I'm also assuming you are going to tell us instead of giving us the usual FBI run around."

Fornell gave him an unhappy look. "This time, Jethro, we are." The FBI agent tossed a file on Gibbs' desk, marked "Top Secret" in huge red letters across the front. "Lt. Larsen was working with the FBI and natives to find the locations to enemy cells in foreign countries. His recent work in Iraq was indispensable; he blended with the locals and was able to gain their trust. He personally located 3 cells that we were able to take down. We have him to thank for many of the military successes recently. Unfortunately, it also made him a hot target, and an elusive one…he never used his real name and only the guys at the top even knew what he was doing."

"Someone found out who he was," Tony stated.

"Yep. Larsen was being redeployed to Afghanistan to continue work on finding a specific cell he had a lead on."

McGee looked confused. "He wasn't redeploying until September."

"According to the official records," Fornell answered. "We anticipated him leaving again in two days."

Gibbs rubbed his hands against his face…this made it worse for Ziva. Much worse. Given her Israeli heritage and training, it wouldn't take much for a zealous investigator to assume she had been hired to remove Larsen.

"Technically, we could take this case, Gibbs." Fornell started, and held up one hand to stop the required Gibbs tirade. "But let's avoid the argument this time and agree to share -- we need each others help."

Gibbs nodded. "We lead, Fornell; this is still a dead Marine. And I want complete disclosure. Who was he tracking into Afghanistan?"

Now Fornell looked nervous. "That's classified."

Gibbs eyebrows shot up; he hated that phrase. "For someone who wants to share, you sure aren't doing it."

"I can't, Gibbs."

The NCIS agent eyed Fornell. "Does the director know?"

Fornell looked up to MTAC. "She should now."

Tony had been watching Sacks and Williams when suddenly Sacks spoke up. "Where is your Mossad liaison? David?"

Tony got a sinking feeling -- he knew how bad this looked for Ziva -- and glanced at his boss.

Gibbs knew there was no way around this one; he couldn't hide her. "She was dismissed from the case," he replied cagily.

"Why?" Sacks asked, his tone suspicious, and Tony was 5 seconds away from punching the guy.

'She had a personal relationship with Larsen."

Fornell looked surprised. "What kind of relationship?"

Gibbs looked around. "The kind that isn't discussed in public. Let's go talk to the Director."

"Fine."

The two men left their teams in their wake, staring at each other.

"Good to see you again, DiNozzo." Sacks' voice was filled with disdain.

Tony smirked. "I'd say the same, but I'd be lying."

Director Sheppard's Office

"You're telling me that Officer David has, yet again, managed to be at the scene of a crime?" the director asked, disbelief in her voice.

"In her defense, Jen, this time it wasn't a crime scene until after she left."

"That doesn't help, Gibbs!" Even Fornell grimaced at her tone.

"Jen, we know she didn't do this…"

Sheppard sent a pointed look at Fornell. "No, she didn't."

"It is a little suspicious that a Mossad assassin…"

Gibbs turned on the FBI agent. "Former assassin, Fornell. She's an NCIS officer now."

Jen stepped between the men and held up her hands. "Let's stop arguing and find out who did…"

Gibbs cut her off. "It would be helpful if the FBI would share who Larsen was tracking."

"I can't divulge that information, Gibbs!" Fornell shouted back.

"Agent Fornell, please step outside for a moment."

The FBI agent eyed her suspiciously, knowing perfectly well that the Director was going to divulge the name. The other man sighed loudly and left, muttering under his breath.

"Who, Jen?"

"I can't divulge an actual name, Jethro -- let's just leave it at one of the top ten."

Gibbs knew what she meant; Larsen was on the heels of one of the world's top ten terrorists. "That's motivation if I ever heard it."

She nodded. "Go find them, Jethro."

"And Ziva?"

"She stays away from NCIS."

Gibbs gave her a lopsided smile. "You've _met _Ziva, right?"

"Do your best, Jethro…And do play nice with the FBI."

"Always do," he said and walked out of her office, meeting Fornell in the hallway. The two stopped on the landing and looked down at their teams, who were keeping a respectable distance from each other in the bullpen.

"So you know…" the agent started.

"Yep," Gibbs stated simply. "I know what you are thinking. She wasn't hired to do it."

Fornell considered that briefly. "Even if her father directed her to?"

Gibbs' head spun towards the other man. "Why would he?"

"Rumors, Gibbs. Rumors."

Gibbs leaned over the railing, considering that a moment. "Not even if her father directed her to, Fornell. She would have told me."

"Sure you have your faith in the right place?"

"_Ari…Ari killed Kate. And I…I killed Ari."_

"_Your brother..."_

"_Yes…"_

"_You killed your brother…to save me."_

Gibbs smiled softly. "Yeah, I'm sure."

The FBI agent seemed to accept that and nodded. "OK, let's find our guy."

After getting the team up to speed, Gibbs gave out assignments. The FBI was trying to retrace Larsen's steps to find his target and McGee was given the task of digging through his electronic life.

Tony was assigned to Ziva, to see if she had remembered anything and to fill her in as best he could. Gibbs' hope was if they at least kept her informed, she might actually stay out of the way.

It was nearly 7 pm before Tony actually left for his partner's house and decided on a whim to head home and grab a couple DVDs. _If she's going to be stuck at home, might as well actually watch movies instead of reading about them._

On another whim, he stopped by the Korean place around the corner from her apartment and picked up something to eat. Tony knew she would not have bothered eating anything of substance, instead choosing to stew.

Bringing up one hand to knock on her door, Tony stopped when he heard music. He didn't expect that. He continued his motion and knocked loudly on her door, hopefully loud enough for Ziva to hear him.

It didn't take long before the music turned off and he heard light footsteps on her hardwood foyer. He heard her pause while she looked through the keyhole before opening the door to him.

"Tony…" She seemed surprised…and uncomfortable.

"Ziva," he stated, taking in her appearance: she was wearing skin-tight yoga pants and stomach bearing matching top, and her skin had the distinctive sheen of someone who had been working out vigorously. For one fleeting second, Tony wondered what her skin tasted like.

"Can I help you?" she asked without actually moving out of the doorway.

"Can I come in?" he asked and held up one hand to gently shake the bags he held. "I come with movies and Korean."

That earned him a smile and she moved out of the way, allowing him access. He had been to her place; she had taught him piano before his assignment with Jeanne. But it had been close to a year since he had set foot inside; his relationship with La Grenouille's daughter had put serious strain on his friendship with Ziva. He wasn't surprised to see it looked the same, somewhat masculine with dark furniture and draperies, but it still had that feminine touch, with pictures of her family (though none of her father) scattered throughout and large comfortable pillows on the furniture.

She turned her back to him and started toward a narrow hall, seemingly unaware that Tony was carefully watching every move she made.

And did she move, every muscle moved with a fluid grace that Tony didn't normally associate with the tough agent.

Her voice startled him out of his thoughts. "Are you enjoying the view?"

He smiled at her back. "You bet."

"Make yourself comfortable, I am going to change." And she continued to her bedroom.

"You really don't have to!" he called after her, but in return all he heard was a light laugh.

He went into the kitchen and after a couple of errors, he managed to find the plates and silverware. She appeared in a pair of grey track pants and a matching hoodie as he was digging into the take out bag.

They grabbed their plates and headed into her living room, Tony grabbing his bag as they went.

He put on his best announcer voice and dug through the bag while she took a bite of beef with broccoli.

"Tonight we will have a showing of some of the finest Sci-Fi cinema available." With a flourish, he pulled out two DVDs.

"Alien and…Aliens?" Ziva was more confused by the titles than anything.

"Classic stuff, and I figured you would appreciate the whole woman kicking the alien's ass part. I think Ripley is your kind of girl." He waggled his eyebrows at her.

"OK…" she drew out the word slowly.

Tony made quick work of her DVD system and in no time she was immersed in the life of Ellen Ripley and those pesky aliens.

Tbc…

Keep you in the dark  
You know they all pretend  
Keep you in the dark  
And so it all began

Send in your skeletons  
Sing as their bones go marching in... again  
The need you buried deep  
The secrets that you keep are ever ready  
Are you ready?  
I'm finished making sense  
Done pleading ignorance  
That whole defense

What if I say I'm not like the others?  
What if I say I'm not just another one of your plays?  
You're the pretender  
What if I say I will never surrender?


	4. Break My Fall

Wow, seriously you guys...40 reviews for 3 chapters. I am stunned, and so excited! I'm glad people are enjoying my little tale. :-) please, continue to review, it makes a writers day. And thank you to all who just read, I hope you are enjoying! Here is some of the tasty TIVA.

How about THAT finale, eh? Oy! Good news...its inspired another fic. Bwhahahaha! Chat about it next chapter, not alot of time to post tonight.

Last chapter artist: The Foo Fighters; this chapter, much harder. Unless you google, in that case...easy!

Enjoy!

CHAPTER FOUR – Break My Fall

Tony could tell she was enjoying the movie, mostly because she had barely moved a muscle since it started. He took advantage of her unwavering concentration and stared at her a moment.

He was finding it increasingly difficult to define his feelings about his partner. She was not the type of woman he typically went for. Ziva David would never be confused for a girly girl; she could be crass, in your face, and forward. But he had also seen her almost fall apart when Gibbs left and when Roy Sanders had died and he'd heard she had taken it especially hard when he was assumed dead. And damn if he didn't want to punch that FBI buddy of Gibbs' when he showed the tiniest bit of interest in her.

Most of Tony's girlfriends resembled supermodels, with little substance. Ziva was beautiful in her own right -- dark, exotic features but behind all that was a sharp mind and killer body. Literally. She probably could kill him with it. She was the complete opposite of what he usually went for…and maybe that wasn't a bad thing.

And now…the thought of her sleeping with some random guy made his blood boil. He did not want to think about this, Tony didn't want to admit what was going on in his head…and heart. He was as surprised as anyone about his feelings for the woman sitting next to him.

He let his gaze linger on her another couple seconds before turning back to the screen.

Before long, the movie was over and Ziva looked at him with a smile. "You were right. I do like Ripley."

"I figured you might."

She picked up their plates from her coffee table and took them into the kitchen; he stood up and followed her.

"I didn't just come over for dinner and a movie."

"I figured," she replied and put the plates in the dishwasher. "Gibbs sent you to see if I remember anything else, yes?"

"Yes. Do you?" His voice was soft.

"No, nothing." She closed her eyes a second and spoke with them closed. Tony really didn't want to know what she was remembering. "No one followed us home and I don't recall seeing anyone waiting outside when I left." She opened her eyes. "But I was not looking either."

"What about at the bar?"

Ziva scrunched her nose up. "I am not sure. Again, I was not looking."

"What _were_ you looking for?" The words came out before he could even attempt to stop them.

"Excuse me?"

He looked guilty. "Nevermind…"

Suddenly she walked into his personal space, leaving maybe 3 inches between them. And boy did she look pissed. "I do not believe what I was, or was not looking for is any of your business."

He didn't flinch. "It became my business, Ziva," he stressed her name, "when you went home with some random guy who ended up dead and now I have to investigate it!"

Ziva narrowed her eyes at him. "Well, I'm very sorry I've interrupted your busy weekend of…shirt chasing."

He threw his hands in the air. "For the love of…it's SKIRT chasing." Tony didn't bother correcting her that he didn't do that anymore. For a variety of reasons.

She stepped back. "Thank you for dinner and the movie, Tony. But I think it is time you left."

"Why?" he asked quickly as she started to the door, once again not thinking before speaking. Ziva paused and looked at him.

"Why what?"

"Why did you go home with a stranger?"

She paled, but tried to deflect the question. "It is not the first time I have done so, Tony."

_Stab the knife in a little further, _he thought. "I'm not surprised. But why this guy, this time?"

Her tone became dangerous. "We have discussed this; it is none of your business."

"Why?"

"Tony! Please leave."

He got louder, inexplicably determined to have this one question answered, not sure if he actually wanted to hear the answer. "Why, Ziva?"

"Do you really want to know?" she all but shouted at him; she was frustrated, tired and emotionally spent. She would have told him every gory detail of her life if it would have gotten him out of her house.

"YES!"

"Because of you!" She looked exasperated and somewhat relieved. "You…you are always in my thoughts, in my head." Her voice lowered to a near whisper. "I try to get you out. Trust me, I try."

Tony was beyond shocked; it was the last thing he expected her to say. "You slept with some guy because of me?"

"I slept with some guy, wanting him to BE you." There, it was out in the open now, and she had probably ruined their friendship and working relationship, but she could no longer hold it in. Dealing with him every single day and feeling what she did for him was becoming a strain that even the assassin didn't think she could take for much longer.

"I…Ziva…" He literally didn't know what to say, he knew how hard it was for her to say that. She rarely spoke of anything remotely personal, and this was a doozey.

Instead, he took action.

Taking a step toward her, he watched her eyes open wide, unsure what her partner was about to do. He surprised her by quickly taking her mouth with his and winding his fingers through her hair.

She was so shocked by his response, Ziva was motionless for a few seconds, but it didn't take her long to respond; she pressed back with equal force, parting her lips slightly to allow his insistent tongue access.

It didn't take long for the pent up emotions to take over as they both grasped for each other, in some ways desperate. Tony kept one hand in her hair, the other snaked around her ribs, holding her against him. Ziva had both hands wrapped around his waist, one tugging at his tucked in shirt, desperate to feel his skin.

Just by the sheer force with which he was attacking her lips pushed Ziva into the wall next to her front door. The sudden thump of her body paused them momentarily, but it didn't take long before Tony returned his lips to her salty skin, this time kissing down her neck as she moaned lightly. In the meantime Ziva's hands had snaked under his shirt, desperately pushing the material up his body, allowing her access to scrape her fingernails across his back.

He hissed lightly, but continued the path down her long neck, finally reaching her collarbone, the tops of her breasts – covered in a sheer tank under her hoodie - taunting him. Suddenly, it occurred to Tony what he was doing. Or…almost doing. And he stilled his movements, moving away from her very tempting skin.

"Tony?" she questioned; behind those dark eyes was passion and want.

Stepping back, he tried to clear his now-foggy head; she seemed to have that effect on him. The situation was made worse by the fact he knew what she looked like naked, and even though they hadn't actually slept together during their assignment, Tony knew what it would be like with the fiery Israeli. Unbelievable, mind-blowing…the kind of sex that was addictive. They might never get out of bed.

"Ziva…" he started slowly, but stopped when she started to unzip her hoodie further; he could now see completely through the tank top. Closing his eyes he took a deep breath. "Stop…Ziva, we can't."

"Technically, Tony, we can," she said, her voice deep and seductive.

"That may be, but we shouldn't." He looked at her; he had somehow managed to rein in his burning desire.

She seemed to recognize that he wasn't going to continue and she stopped advancing on him, re-zipping the hoodie. "You are right."

Tony gave an internal sigh of relief and looked in her eyes. "Later."

A predatory smile crossed her face. "You can bet on it."

"I better go. If you think of anything, call me, doesn't matter when."

She nodded and he collected his things, returning to the door, where she waited for him to say their goodbyes.

"Tony…" Ziva started, clearly unaccustomed to being in this position. "Thank you…for everything."

Now he got that cocky grin on his face. "You're welcome."

She smiled and leaned over, giving him a chaste kiss on the cheek. "Goodnight Tony."

"Goodnight, Ziva."

tbc...

You fought me once but not again  
You let me feel your heavy hand  
I will clean your fucking mess  
And leave no trace of evidence

_Chorus:_  
I am losing you again  
Let me out and let me in  
'cause you're not alone here  
Not at all  
Let me belong here  
Break my fall

Shelter me from this again  
Dedicated to the end  
Help me break my conscience in  
To free us from our innocence


	5. I Will Possess Your Heart

Welcome back kids, for the fifth installment

Welcome back kids, for the fifth installment! We are halfway there! I know its repetitive, but I need to say it again….a thousand thank yous for the reviews, they are wonderful! Occasionally I will respond to particular comments because I feel compelled to.

Yes, there will be LOTS of action coming up (some in this chapter, some in later): a surprise cameo, a scene that is probably now my favorite from all the fiction I have written, a wicked twist, some dirty dancing, a shooting and a dead dude (no, none of our favorite characters – I don't do that without fair warning at the beginning). How bout that for action? Huh?

Ahhh, very nice; Breaking Benjamin was our artist of the chapter. Personally one of my favorites is "Rain" the last track and I LOVE their new album. Killer.

CHAPTER 5 – I Will Possess Your Heart

Getting into work the next morning, Tony looked at Ziva's desk and felt a twinge of longing. He was actually going to miss not having her to pick on for a couple days until this mess got sorted out. Then again, he was required to go to her home and give her updates, which made up for it; he allowed a smile to form.

Dropping his bag on the floor, Tony started to begin his daily routine when it occurred to him that something was off in the bullpen.

He was the only one there.

Looking around, he noticed that both Gibbs and McGee's desks appeared to have recent activity (a coffee cup on Gibbs desk and McGee's backpack were both present), but the men were suspiciously absent.

He picked up the phone and dialed Abby's lab.

"Abby…"

"DiNozzio! Nice of you to show up this morning!" Gibbs' voice boomed through the office and Tony startled.

"Nevermind, Abs," he said quickly into the phone and hung up. "'Sup, boss? Any leads?"

"No," Gibbs said softly, and the two men were quickly joined by McGee, Fornell, Sacks and Williams. "Ziva remember anything?"

"Nope, she doesn't remember them being followed, but she wasn't looking for it either."

Gibbs seemed to consider this, but McGee spoke. "Whoever he is, was he just a contract or part of the cell himself? And if he was a contract, how did his boss know who Larsen was?"

Gibbs looked at the younger agent. "All good questions…now get the answers!" Gibbs turned to Fornell. "Conference."

Fornell followed him to the elevator and in short order, the men where sitting in the semi-dark.

"How DID they know, Fornell?"

"You expect me to know, Jethro?"

Gibbs merely glared at the other man.

"This is between us and us only." Fornell looked clearly nervous, something the FBI agent never was. "We suspect someone provided al Qaeda with the knowledge that Larsen was the man on their tail and provided some personal information. They didn't have his home address, that wasn't even in the files, but anyone who knew him knew where he liked to hang out when he was home."

Gibbs stared down the agent. "Someone…in the FBI?" Fornell's non-answer was all Gibbs needed. "Jesus, Tobias, you have a leak in the F-B- freakin-I!?

"Possibly, we can't confirm, but we are…suspicious."

"Why?"

"I can't disclose that."

"Fornell!"

"I can't, Jethro, stop asking. I've already told you enough to get me fired."

Gibbs let out an annoyed noise. "That information would have been good to have yesterday."

"Very few people in the FBI are even aware. This is a serious leak, we can't risk tipping them off."

"Any leads?"

"None."

"Fine…anything else you should tell me?"

"Nope."

Gibbs nodded and released the elevator.

It turned into another fruitless day of chasing leads that went nowhere. A neighbor thought he saw something, but it turned out to be another resident's drunken boyfriend making an ass of himself. The bartender remembered Ziva, but not Larsen, and couldn't remember anyone who looked out of place, and nothing showed up on the camera's covering the parking lot.

McGee had been scanning the traffic cameras, trying to see if anyone had followed them home.

"Gotcha!" he suddenly yelled into the mostly silent bullpen.

Gibbs got up quickly. "You get something?"

"Maybe," the agent said, and pulled up onto the big screen what he had been reviewing, rolling the tape back several seconds. "OK, here is the lieutenant's vehicle… a Ford truck. A few seconds later Ziva's Cooper goes by as the light turns red. The next car runs the red light to keep up with them." McGee froze the picture. "The Envoy with heavily tinted windows. I followed him all the way to the neighborhood Larsen's apartment is in; we don't actually see him entering the building."

"Run it, McGee!" Gibbs commanded with little patience in his voice.

"Already did: registered to Paul Verhoven, Arlington."

"Gear up!"

"Boss, wait," McGee called out and pulled up another screen. "Paul Verhoven has a record…two assault charges, two domestic charges and one for carrying a concealed weapon."

"Get the warrant, McGee…Tony, Fornell, let's go."

Verhoven Residence – 4 pm

Gibbs shut his phone as they approached the suspect's door; the man lived in a questionable area and the residents had looked at the agents like it was nothing new to see armed officers roaming through the hall.

"McGee has the warrant and will be here in 15 minutes," he stated as they took position.

"Are you gonna wai…" Tony started to ask, but was cut off by Gibbs rapping hard on the door.

"Federal Agents!" he yelled.

"Of course not…" Tony muttered to Sacks and Willams, who stood off to one side with Fornell.

Gibbs nodded at Tony, and the younger agent kicked the door with just enough pressure to break the lock and allow them entry. Fornell and his agents took the front of the small apartment, with Tony and Gibbs making quick work of the two bedrooms and bathroom.

It was in the bathroom they found what they were looking for.

Lying in the dry bathtub, his wrists cut, was the body of Paul Verhoven.

"In here," Gibbs called out and the three FBI agents were there in seconds.

Fornell looked at the body with resignation. "Well, there went our lead…"

"Dammit," Tony muttered softly.

Gibbs continued to survey the bathroom with a critical eye. "This was staged…poorly."

"You can't know that, Jethro," Fornell protested.

Gibbs just eyed him critically

"Your gut, Gibbs?" Fornell asked.

The NCIS agent gave Fornell his patented "I know more than you" look and motioned for the FBI agent to come closer. "No obvious note, no hesitation marks…how often do you see that in actual suicides, Tobias? And the tub isn't even full of water -- dry as a bone." The agent had no answer. "Plus, this guy can't be dead more than a couple hours, that's awfully coincidental he decides to off himself hours before we ID him. And we all know how I feel about coincidences."

The FBI agent appeared to see the truth in Gibbs' observations. "We are back to nothing."

Now Tony looked despondent. "Except Ziva."

Gibbs saw the expression on his face. "Look around, see if you can find anything linking this guy to Larsen and get McGee on his electronic tail."

Tony nodded and stepped out of the room to make the call and start searching -- they needed to find something linking this guy to Larsen.

The teams spent several hours in the dead man's apartment, coming up with a whole lot more of nothing. Gibbs was starting to get cranky, so they elected to head back to the office in the hope McGee had found something.

Both McGee and Abby where searching through Verhoven's financials when they arrived.

"Anything?" Tony asked hopefully.

"Actually…maybe." Tim responded, sending a surge of excitement through Tony. "We found several small deposits scattered over the last 6 months, nothing large enough to require notifying the treasury…between 500 and 4000 apiece, but when you add it all together, it totaled nearly sixty grand. The last deposit was made the day Larsen was killed."

"Good job," came a chorus from Tony and Gibbs. Tony looked at his boss sheepishly, and the older man continued. "Who was making the deposits?"

Now McGee and Abby looked at each other briefly before McGee answered. "Well…we are sorta still working on that. It seems to have come through a dummy corporation that we are having a hard time tracing…"

"Trace harder!" Gibbs commanded and started upstairs, Tony hot on his heels.

As they approached the bullpen, Tony looked at Gibbs. "Boss, I'm going to head to Ziva's and fill her in."

"Go," he said and waved one arm at him.

Tony turned back toward his desk; it had been nearly 24 hours since he'd seen her last and the agent was almost craving his partner's presence. He couldn't believe the effect she had on him in such a short time. Picking up his bag, he turned to the elevators and almost dropped it.

"Ziva."

She smiled at him and approached his desk.

Suddenly, their boss' voice boomed through the office and everyone in the vicinity turned their heads toward him. "Agent David, I'm confident I told you to stay away from NCIS until this investigation was over."

She raised her hands in surrender and nodded. "You did. I came to pick up Tony."

Gibbs approached the two. "You better fill her in, DiNozzo."

Tony did quickly and Ziva's face fell.

"This is not good," she stated simply.

"No, it's not." Tony replied, and noticed the FBI agents returning from the director's office. "So…why were you picking me up?" He gave her a sly smile.

She smirked at him. "I wanted to go back to the bar, see if I could..." she paused, struggling to come up with the phrase she wanted. "Shake something loose, yes?"

"We can still try if you want. I could use a drink…or fifteen."

The Israeli smiled at him, but her attention was drawn to the three agents coming around the corner into the bullpen. Tony watched as she titled her head slightly and he recognized the expression on her face; she was trying to figure something out.

"Agent David, nice to see you again." Fornell said. Tony couldn't decide if he was being sarcastic.

She responded with a short "Agent Fornell."

Tony chimed in next. "His buddies here are Agent Sacks, you remember him from the Eschel incident, right?" She nodded and focused her attention on the other man. "And this is Agent Williams, he's new. Doesn't talk much…or ever really."

Ziva held her hand out and Williams shook it. "Pleasure to meet you, Agent David."

"Same." She stared the man down; she could tell it was making him uncomfortable. "Have we met?" she finally asked.

"No, don't think so. I just started with Fornell's team."

She made a small noise and broke eye contact, much to the relief of the other man. "Tony…you are right. Let's get that drink."

Tony spared a glance at his boss, who merely nodded.

He quickly gathered his things and followed her to the elevator.

"I have seen Agent Williams somewhere," she said as the door dinged shut.

Tbc….

How I wish you could see the potential,  
the potential of you and me.  
It's like a book elegantly bound but,  
in a language that you can't read.  
Just yet.

You gotta spend some time, Love.  
You gotta spend some time with me.  
And I know that you'll find, love  
I will possess your heart.  
You gotta spend some time, Love.  
You gotta spend some time with me.  
And I know that you'll find, love  
I will possess your heart.

There are days when outside your window  
I see my reflection as I slowly pass,  
and I long for this mirrored perspective  
when we'll be lovers, lovers at last.


	6. Dont Stop The Music

More TIVA goodness lays here my friends

More TIVA goodness lays here my friends. Almost as tasty as the chapter before. No lyrics at the end, this time they are IN the chapter (hey, every once in a while you gotta switch it up).

Many thank yous for the reviews and I love the tons and tons of author/story alerts I am getting! Those rock too!

Raise your hand if you cannot wait for September!

Last chapters musical guest: Death Cab for Cutie

And…enjoy!

CHAPTER 6 – Don't Stop the Music

After much discussion about who would drive, Ziva got into the passenger seat of Tony's car, a newer version Mustang. It wasn't the classic he had and loved, but it was clear to Ziva that he enjoyed driving the car and took equal care of it.

He started driving, and she directed him to the bar just outside Georgetown where she had met the lieutenant. Tony glanced at the clock -- it was nearing 9 pm on a Sunday, not exactly prime bar hours -- but as they approached, he noted the mostly full parking lot.

She had been oddly quiet the entire ride, only speaking to give him directions, and he was wondering if she was uncomfortable after what had happened in her apartment the previous night. He wasn't uncomfortable in the least; in fact it felt like the most natural thing in the world, being with her.

"TONY!" Her yelling pulled him out his thoughts and he realized he was dangerously close to curbing the side of his new car.

"Sorry…sorry," he said and safely pulled into the parking lot, almost happy to find they would need to park in the back of the lot -- less dings that way.

"What was that?" she asked.

"Thinking."

She closed the gap between them, leaning over the center console, and lowered her voice. "About what?"

He swallowed at her proximity, but continued on; he was at least confident she wouldn't threaten to kill him. "You."

Curiosity covered her face. "Me? Why?"

"You're being awfully quiet and…"

"Yes…" she drew out, and he would swear she moved even closer to him.

"I was worried it was about last night."

A smile reached her dark eyes and she pursed her lips. "You thought I was…hinky about it, yes?"

"Close enough, yeah."

"Tony, I was just focusing on trying to remember. I feel like I am missing something."

He nodded and shut off the engine. "Well, let's go shake that somewhat-photographic memory of yours."

She looked insulted for a moment. "It IS photographic Tony, if I am concentrating!"

Tony needled his partner further; he was having fun getting a rise out of the Israeli. "Uh-huh. Sure." And he got out of the car.

Ziva shook her head and got out of the car, catching up to him at the door and swinging his body around, capturing his lips with hers as he came to a stop. Instantly, she felt the tension that permanently existed between them increase in pressure; she wanted more of him - all of him. But again, Tony had to be the rational one, and he pushed away from her.

"Bad guy," was all he said, and she could tell he was struggling to gain control of himself; she was, too.

"What?"

"First, we get the bad guy…"

She nodded sullenly. "Agreed. But this is not over, Tony." And she walked into the club.

Tony looked after her in a daze. "God, I hope not."

The bar was dark and noisy, and the music was turned up about 10 decibels too many for Tony's liking, but if you wanted to get out of your head for a little bit it was a good spot. The bar was large and covered with bright neon. Several TVs above the bar broadcast different music videos, though not the one corresponding to the music blasting through the speakers. It was typical dance club music; Tony wasn't a fan, but he would admit to listening to it on occasion.

He was surprised Ziva would come to a place like this.

Suddenly, a hand snaked into his and Ziva was pulling him toward the bar. Once they arrived, she ordered two tequilas and Tony's stomach nearly revolted at the thought; he'd had more than one bad encounter with the liquid.

"Do you really think we should be drinking?" he asked, though it was practically a shout for him to be heard.

She merely smiled at him and leaned into him, placing her lips tantalizingly close to his ear. "It's just one drink, Tony. Live a little." Her hot breath touching his skin made him shiver a bit.

Tony eyed the small glass skeptically, but picked it up and looked at her, recalling an old frat saying. "Here's to you, here's to me, if we should ever disagree/ Fuck you, here's to me."

She laughed and they both downed the alcohol, Tony having more trouble than Ziva.

Again, she brought her face close to his. "I need you to go away."

"What?"

"I need to concentrate and I can not do that with you here." Tony started to get a smug look on his face, but she stopped him. "Just…go."

He shrugged his shoulders and walked away from her, leaning against the wall at the top of stairs leading to the dance floor, far enough away not to be a distraction, but close enough to watch her.

With Tony out of eyesight, Ziva concentrated on the beat of the music and ordered another drink; she hadn't been drunk that night, but had been feeling warm. Closing her eyes, she pictured that night and moved to the location she was in when she met the lieutenant. Opening her eyes again, she went through the motions in her head and played them out in real life. Slowly, she moved around the bar to the spot where Larsen was standing. Mentally, she replayed their conversation as best she could.

He had asked her to dance, and she'd agreed. Ziva moved toward the stairs, taking Tony's hand again as she passed, pulling him with her. As they approached the hardwood, a song Tony actually recognized pumped through the speakers. She moved them to a somewhat hidden corner of the dance floor and instantly started moving to the beat, her hips rotating rather seductively.

_It's getting late, I'm making my way over to my favorite place_

_I gotta get my body moving, Shake the stress away_

_I wasn't lookin for nobody when you looked my way_

_Possible candidate, yeah_

_Who knew, that you'd be up in here looking like you do_

_You're makin stayin over here impossible_

_Baby I'm a sayin your aura is incredible_

_If you don't have to go_

_Don't_

How appropriate, Tony thought, as she moved tantalizingly close to him. Tony watched as she closed her eyes and focused on the music, slowly rotating her body so her back was to him, her body touching his lightly with every move. He placed his hands on her hips and guided her farther back, so now her body never left contact with his.

_Baby are you ready cause it's getting cold_

_Don't you feel the passion ready to explode_

_What goes on between us no one has to know_

_This is a private show, ohhh_

_Do you know what just started; I just came here to party_

_But now we're rockin on the dance floor, actin naughty_

_Your hands around my waist, just let the music play_

_We're hand in hand…._

_And now we're face to face_

He leaned down to her ear and whispered her name. "Ziva…"

She kept her eyes closed, moving against him but spoke. "Ask me to come home with you."

For a second, Tony was shocked -- then he realized what she was doing and lowered his voice. "Come home with me."

"Yes…"

Tony was somewhat disappointed at how easily she had responded, wondering if she had agreed so easily to Larsen as well, but took her hand in his and guided her off the floor.

Ziva opened her eyes as they approached the stairs, and her mind's eye caught a glimpse of something she hadn't remembered previously. She stopped dead in her tracks.

Tony turned back to her. "What?"

She focused on him and he could see the concern floating on her face. "Williams."

"What?" Tony had disbelief written all over his face.

"I knew I recognized him." She pointed almost to the exact spot Tony had been in not even 10 minutes earlier. "He was standing right there." Once again, she closed her eyes, this time speaking with them that way. "And Verhoven was next to him."

"They were here together? Why didn't we catch Williams on the traffic cam?"

She opened her eyes. "I bet Williams pointed out Larsen to Verhoven. Larsen's picture was not easily acquired, the easier bet was to point the target out and disappear, leaving Verhoven to do the rest."

Tony cocked his head at her. "Wait a minute, did you just say 'easier bet'?"

"Yes, it was in a movie…"

"I'm so proud right now. If only you'd start using contractions."

She gave him her I-am-not-amused look. "We need to call Gibbs."

He nodded and grabbed her hand again, leading them out the front door and towards his car. Just as Tony got on the phone with Gibbs, she passed a large SVU and Ziva felt an arm snake around her neck, stopping her in her tracks. Before her training could kick in, a gun was pressed to her temple, the metal cool.

"Good evening, Officer David," a familiar voice hissed into her ear.

Tbc….

Well, it started out good, but nothing is easy!


	7. Life is Beautiful

Winding our way to the end here. Two more chapters left, I think. And there is a lot of action packed into these couple! Whew! Look out! This one also has my favorite scene ever in it. It's the last one, which also features our cameo appearance.

Musical Guest from Chapter Six: Rihanna, this week…much more difficult. I'd be stunned if anyone gets it without googling (of course, I don't KNOW if you are googling, so it's the honor system here).

And heeee…I've already started outlining the "sequel" to this one. Which...is based on that last scene. Yeah, Im in love with the one scene, ok? And Im not even sure why, I just do. Sigh. Anyways...on with it!

Chapter 7 – Life is Beautiful

The instant Ziva's hand was ripped from his, Tony had a sinking feeling. He turned toward her and standing next to an imposing SUV was FBI Agent Williams, his 9 mm pointed at Ziva's head. Also not to his surprise, she didn't even looked concerned, merely…annoyed.

"Keep your hands where I can see them, DiNozzo." Williams hissed and Tony complied, raising his hands but not disconnecting the call he had started; he could hear Gibbs on the other end, yelling his name.

"You're gonna have to talk a little louder there, Williams…I'm a little distracted by the gun at my partner's head."

On the other end of the line, Gibbs snapped at McGee and the younger agent instantly looked up.

"GPS DiNozzo's phone. NOW!"

Within seconds, McGee was writing down an address and intersection. Gibbs looked at it and instantly knew where they were.

"Fornell!" he hollered across the squadroom and waited for the FBI agent to come closer. "Williams has my agents. Move your ass."

Fornell looked shocked, as did Sacks, who had come over after hearing his boss called. "What?"

"YOUR agent was the leak, Tobias!" Gibbs looked at McGee. "Let's go, we'll call the Director on the way."

The four men got in the elevator and Gibbs was instantly on the phone, calling in the cavalry.

"Drop the phone, Agent. And your weapons." Williams commanded and Tony complied, dropping his cell and weapon on the dirt of the parking lot.

The FBI agent then indicated the car next to him. "Get in."

Tony stalled. "I'd really rather not -- I mean, I'm pretty sure if I get in, I won't be getting out alive."

"A rather fair assessment, Agent DiNozzo." A heavily accented voice came from behind Tony and he turned slightly, catching a glimpse of a middle-eastern man that had come from nowhere, as far as he could figure. "Don't make this harder on Officer David than it has to be." The implication hung in the air.

Tony looked at Ziva, whose expression of annoyance had been replaced with one of concern, bordering on alarm. "Wouldn't dream of it."

"Good. Then get in the front passenger seat, keeping in mind that anything but following my directions will result in unpleasantness for your partner."

Tony looked defeated, but followed the directions. As he sat down, Williams appeared in the drivers seat, his gun trained on the NCIS agent.

Tony placed his head on the headrest and sighed. "This is going to be so bad for you when NCIS catches your ass."

The other man looked smug. "What makes you think they will?"

Now Tony looked Williams in the eye, more serious than he ever had been in his life. "You don't know Gibbs. He's like a dog with a bone, only more determined. Should've seen what happened to the last terrorist that pissed him off." As he finished, Tony put an index finger to his forehead, and for a second, saw fear flit across the other man's face, but as soon as it was there, it was gone.

"Ziva David. Your reputation precedes you."

She considered the other man. "Well, you seem to know my reputation, while I know nothing of yours…"

He leaned into her. "And you never will. Turn around." She gave him an evil look, but complied. Within seconds he had vested her of her second weapon, knife and cell phone, dropping all of them to the side of the SUV. "Get in the car."

She followed instructions, opening the door behind Tony and got in. "All the way over, please." She slid across the seat, taking everything in, her mind running through different scenarios that would get her and Tony out of this alive. IF the NCIS agents had been armed, she would have given them a 50/50 shot, but without weapons…she didn't want to think of the odds.

"Drive," the man commanded, and Williams quickly got the car going, pulling out of the parking lot a full 10 minutes before Gibbs got there.

As he and McGee rounded the corner into the lot, Gibbs had a sinking feeling. He didn't think that Williams would actually hurt his agents, but whomever he was working for probably didn't have the same disposition.

It didn't take long for Gibbs to find Tony's empty car in the lot, and a few spaces away, McGee found the abandoned items.

"This isn't good, boss."

"Obviously not. Check their surveillance." McGee stood starting at the spot for a second too long, and Gibbs snapped at him again. "Move, McGee!"

"On it, boss," he said and the younger agent scurried away.

Gibbs surveyed the area briefly; the bar was right next to 29, they could be a hundred different places by now. Meanwhile, Fornell was on the phone with someone in his office, yelling at them. He was clearly as unhappy as Gibbs was about the turn of events.

"We are running down everything we know about Williams."

"We need to find out who his accomplice is…then we'll know where they went."

"How do you know there was an accomplice?"

Gibbs eyed him critically. "Do you really think one FBI agent, even armed, could get an armed NCIS agent and a Mossad-trained assassin to just go with them without a fight? There is no evidence of a struggle here, it's like they just got in the car and left."

Fornell seemed to consider that as McGee came back. "They are sending the footage to Abby online, but I have a feeling we won't get much like last time. The coverage in the lot is spotty, probably should check traffic cams…" McGee stopped and considered the expression on Gibbs face. "I'll get right on that."

"Fornell, you guys stay here -- interview people and see if they saw our mystery man. We'll get you a picture as soon as we can." Gibbs strode to the car and McGee followed quickly. "You better pray we find them alive, Fornell."

The FBI agent looked nervous as Gibbs drove away. He knew the man wasn't kidding.

By the time they arrived at NCIS, Abby had already found the vehicle carrying Tony and Ziva.

"At 10:02, a burgundy Lexus SUV pulls out of the parking lot. We caught it on the traffic cam right outside the bar."

"You follow them to wherever they went?" Gibbs asked.

Abby looked strained. "No, they got on 29 north, and the highway doesn't have cameras. But we did get this." She froze the picture and zoomed in on the front seat through the windshield. "That is Tony and Williams."

"You see our mystery man?"

"Sorta." She switched to a different image of the same angle. "You can see Ziva fairly clearly behind the driver -- there is obviously a man sitting behind Tony, he seems to have a gun trained on her."

Gibbs sighed. "Old, but effective, threaten one to get the other to cooperate."

McGee sniggered. "Clearly, they have the gun on the right person." Both Abby and Gibbs looked at him and he realized his error. "I mean…if they had the gun on Tony, they would probably be dead already, right? Ziva would have…never mind."

"Tim!" Abby protested, but Gibbs cut her off.

"He's right."

"What?" came the simultaneous reply.

Gibbs clarified. "This guy," he pointed at the unknown man. "Knows enough about Ziva to have her remove ALL of her back up weapons, knife included…"

McGee interjected, "How many people carry knives as backup…"

Gibbs nodded. "And to keep her under control instead of Tony. They know who she is…" He seemed to contemplate a second. "Abby, clean that up as best you can and send it to MTAC. I think its time to talk to Director David."

MTAC, 10:36 PM

"Director David…this man is not familiar to you?" Gibbs asked the larger than life figure on the screen.

"No, he is not."

Gibbs knew the man was lying, but couldn't figure out why. "He knows Ziva."

That seemed to shake the Director. "Even if I did, I could not tell you, Agent Gibbs."

Gibbs was stunned. "You do realize the severity of the situation? Your _daughter _is missing and is probably going to be killed, if she's not dead already and you won't help us?"

"I _can not_ help you."

"That's the biggest pile of crap I've ever heard."

"Jethro!" Jenny's hushed voice came from behind him before she turned to the screen. "Director, we are only trying to save her life and the life of one of our own agents. There is nothing you can tell us? Nothing at all?"

"I am sorry…"

Now Gibbs was incensed -- this man, thousands of miles away had essentially sentenced Ziva and Tony to die. It seemed that Gibbs cared more for Ziva's life than her own father. He couldn't imagine a father being so callous towards his own child. "Do you have any feelings for your daughter? At all?"

The man easily avoided the question. "She was aware of the risks when she joined Mossad."

"She isn't Mossad anymore!" Gibbs narrowed his eyes at the man. "You remember why Ziva came to NCIS in the first place, don't you?"

The Director looked disturbed. "Yes."

"This assignment wasn't meant to be a secondment for her, Director. It was to get her out of Israel for a _reason_. Clearly, her life means something to you."

Though his face gave away nothing, the Director's voice shook slightly. "She is my remaining child, Agent Gibbs. All I have left."

Gibbs voice softened slightly. "Then help us find her."

"If this man has her, I fear it is already too late." Resignation filled his voice; the man had already given up.

"Help me, Director, and I swear I will find her. Alive." Gibbs stared down the other man as best he could over video link. "I WILL find her."

Director David considered that a moment. "You will want to contact Officer Bashan shortly."

And the call disconnected.

Jenny looked at Gibbs. "That was dangerous, Gibbs."

He smirked. "But effective."

Tbc

You can't quit until you try  
You can't live until you die  
You can't learn to tell the truth  
Until you learn to lie

You can't breathe until you choke  
You gotta laugh when you're the joke  
There's nothing like a funeral to make you feel alive

Just open your eyes  
Just open your eyes  
And see that life is beautiful.  
Will you swear on your life,  
That no one will cry at my funeral?

I know some things that you don't  
I've done things that you won't  
There's nothing like a trail of blood to find your way back home

Just open your eyes  
Just open your eyes  
And see that life is beautiful.  
Will you swear on your life,  
That no one will cry at my funeral?


	8. Leave Out All the Rest

First my apologies, I meant to have this up last night but alas I couldnt because my beloved Red Wings won the Stanley Cup!! Go WINGS!

Ahhhh, the second to last chapter. Heeee! Again, thank you for all of the reviews, I love each one. Happy writerproductive writer.

Last chapter musical artist: Sixx:AM.

I think I mentioned I'm already writing the sequel, and if I have enough written I think I can provide a couple "previews" at the end of next chapter. Hopefully I will have it done soon enough to tide us over the long summer. Man, I hope NCIS comes back early September…is it too much to ask for a late August showing like Prison Break and Bones? I think I read we are getting 26 eps next year (thats assuming SAG can come to an agreement and there isnt ANOTHER strike). Whoot!

CHAPTER 8 – Leave Out All the Rest

The Lexus pulled up to an abandoned warehouse, and Ziva knew they were in serious trouble. She figured Gibbs would be lucky to even find their bodies. For once in her life, Ziva feared death. With Mossad, she knew that her life was expendable and that any second could be her last. It was part of the reason she was often considered unfeeling or cold; for 25 years it had been beaten into her head that attachments, friends, were a liability and she had no use for them. So she pushed people away, not obviously, but subtly. It was a family trait, and her family was little to speak of.

Gibbs and NCIS had changed that. She had formed friendships with those around her, allowed herself some freedom knowing she was as safe as she could be with Gibbs. Yes, she was still an assassin and considered herself a damn good one, but now she was also an investigator. And she had family now. Gibbs was her family – moreso than her father ever was, and Abby, and McGee…

And Tony.

Tony was more than family; he was…something she couldn't describe. Now he was something that never would be. They shared an attraction that Ziva had never, in her life, shared with anyone else. And it would never go farther than this.

_Stop thinking past tense, Ziva, you are not dead yet! _Her internal voice admonished her even as they pulled to the far corner of the warehouse and the mystery man ordered her out.

She knew they needed to stall, and turned toward the man guiding her.

"Keep moving, Officer David."

"First, I would like to know how you know me." She pursed her lips and looked thoughtful. "Are you Israeli?" She was met with stony silence. "No, then. Hmmmm…" Now she smiled slightly. "Have we slept together and I do not remember? Is that why we are here?"

Anger flitted through the man's eyes, and in a matter of seconds, he brought up a hand and hit Ziva squarely across the jaw. Tony winced and Ziva pulled her head back, running her fingers along her lips, blood covering them.

"Obviously, your father missed the lesson on not hitting women."

The man leaned into her dangerously. "Keep it up and I will show you what else my father did not teach me."

She turned serious, but continued to distract the man. "You are willing to murder two federal agents to avoid detection?"

"You have identified Agent Williams as the man on the inside; we cannot allow it to go any farther than the two of you. Too much is at stake."

"It has already gone farther; once you kill us, Gibbs will be all over you. You will be lucky to get out of the country."

The man looked at Williams. "Please handcuff Agent DiNozzo." The FBI agent complied, pushing Tony to his knees as he snapped the cuffs on.

The man turned back to Ziva. "Like you, Officer David, Agent Gibbs has no idea who I am. And I would really prefer it stayed that way."

Suddenly the gun that was trained on Ziva was redirected behind her and a single shot fired.

"Tony!" she yelled and turned around to find Williams on the ground a single bullet hole neatly placed between his eyes.

The man was cleaning up the mess, removing all the witnesses. And they were witnesses.

She gave it one last-ditch effort; at least now the numbers were in her favor…even if Tony was handcuffed. "My father will find you…"

The man snorted. "Move over to Agent DiNozzo." She complied and he continued. "Your father, Ziva, will mourn you…and move on. Like he did with your brother."

Now she looked shocked…very few people knew of their connection beyond agent and control officer, separated by a decade in age and different last names - despite the same father. But it was common knowledge what had happened to Ari…gone to the wrong side and gunned down by an NCIS agent – just not the one they thought.

"Kneel." He indicated the space next to Tony and again she complied. This time however, she placed herself strategically and slightly behind her coworker. The next couple seconds happened so fast she barely had time to register it.

"Tony…" she started.

"It's OK…"

The man pointed the gun at Tony's head, and Ziva took her shot.

"Tony…I love you," she blurted, one eye on Tony, the other on their assassin.

Tony's head swiveled toward her and the other man even looked shocked for a moment…it was long enough for Ziva to hurl herself forward, knocking Tony to the ground, his hands still cuffed behind him.

The gunshot rang out the quiet warehouse…followed by Tony screaming Ziva's name.

She remained on the cold concrete a moment, taking in the familiar sensation radiating from her left shoulder. She had been shot; Ziva was unsure if it had gone all the way through, but she could feel blood pouring down her arm and chest, staining the floor next to her.

"Ziva…" Tony's voice was nervous.

She grunted slightly and rolled to her right side, her right hand holding the wounded shoulder to keep movement to a minimum. It took considerable effort, but after just a few seconds she was on her knees again…her breath coming in short, hard gasps. She stared the man down; refusing to give him an inch even as nausea waved through her and her vision started blurring.

She held out a small amount of hope that Gibbs would find them, and even if he didn't, she was not going down without a fight.

The man spit out an epitaph that only Ziva understood. "You will regret that."

She laughed lightly and heard Tony hiss her name. "Stop angering the man."

Turning toward him, she saw fear behind his eyes. "I do not choose to go quietly, Anthony. And neither should you." She stared at him a few seconds and he quietly nodded his understanding.

"I like quiet. Quiet is good."

"Quiet is the coward's way out."

He tilted her head at her. "Are you calling me a coward?"

"If the sock fits."

"Seriously, David, how many times do we have to go over this? It's SHOE. If the shoe fits!"

"Whatever!" she replied, swallowing down another urge to vomit, and pass out.

"STOP!"

They stopped and looked at the man holding the gun on them -- he looked infuriated.

"I do apologize for my partner…three years in this country and she still doesn't get it sometimes. I've tried…movie after movie and it's like it doesn't sink in. Really angers the boss, doesn't it?"

"Really does." Gibbs' voice replied from behind the man, his sig pointed directly at the back of the stranger's head. "But I'd still like to keep her in one piece."

At that, several other NCIS agents appeared from the shadows, weapons pointed at the man in front of Gibbs. He seemed to have a deflated expression on his face but in an instant, he raised his weapon again and pointed it directly at Ziva's head.

She was shocked and heard the gun go off…only to see her assailant's body slump to the ground, blood pouring from his back… Gibbs had pulled the trigger before her near-assassin could.

Everyone stood silent for a minute before Ziva made a small noise and pitched forward, Gibbs catching her seconds before her forehead hit the concrete. He took one look at the pale, nearly unconscious agent and barked a command.

"McGee…get a bus. Double time." Before he had even finished the sentence, the young agent was on the phone, calling it in.

Gibbs pulled the Israeli closer to him as he knelt on the floor, to keep her warm in the cool warehouse, and another agent uncuffed DiNozzo.

"Ziva…" he whispered and crawled over to Ziva, hovering his hands over her, not sure what to do. He was completely frozen by the blood that still flowed from her arm and the utter stillness of her body, draped across Gibbs' lap.

"McGee!" Gibbs snapped.

"Bus will be here in 10 minutes, boss."

"She'll have bled out by then -- give me your shirt."

Before McGee could even untie his tie, Tony had pulled his t-shirt over his head, leaving him in just a tank top, and pressed the cotton gently but firmly onto Ziva's shoulder, eliciting a small groan from the woman.

"How'd you find us, boss?"

"Her father," Gibbs responded, and a light, sarcastic laugh came from the woman in his lap.

Tony placed one hand on hers, the other firmly staunching the blood, and squeezed gently; she returned the gesture.

Several minutes went by with Ziva lying across Gibbs, as the agent barked orders at those around him. Tony held her hand, lightly running his thumb up and down the back of her palm until the EMTs arrived.

The first paramedic to Ziva quickly triaged her before gently pulling her from Gibbs lap and Tony's hand, and laying her on the floor -- at which point she muttered something softly in Hebrew.

The EMT looked around, confused a moment before Tony translated for him. "She just called you a very bad word; I probably shouldn't even repeat it." Tony caught Gibbs' glance "She calls me that one a lot, didn't take much to figure it out." Gibbs gave him a small smile before Tony turned back to the EMT. "How is she?"

"BP is good, pulse is a little thready, but that's not unexpected. She's lost a lot of blood; once we get her to the hospital, we'll have a better idea. Shoulder wounds tend to be one of two things: really good…or really bad."

Tony looked alarmed a moment and nervously rubbed at the raw skin around his wrists. Gibbs put a hand on the other man's, sensing there was more than just coworker concern in his actions, stilling his movements.

"Go with her."

Tony looked at him hopefully. "Really?"

"Go before I change my mind, DiNozzo. McGee and I have this mess."

Tbc….

I dreamed I was missing  
You were so scared  
But no one would listen  
Cause no one else cared

After my dreaming  
I woke with this fear  
What am I leaving  
When I'm done here

So if you're asking me  
I want you to know

When my time comes  
Forget the wrong that I've done  
Help me leave behind some  
Reasons to be missed

And don't resent me  
And when you're feeling empty  
Keep me in your memory

Leave out all the rest  
Leave out all the rest

Don't be afraid  
I've taken my beating  
I've shared what I made

I'm strong on the surface  
Not all the way through  
I've never been perfect  
But neither have you

So if you're asking me  
I want you to know

When my time comes  
Forget the wrong that I've done  
Help me leave behind some  
Reasons to be missed


	9. Blue and Yellow

Ahhhh, the final chapter. It's sad when a story comes to the end, it really is. Sigh. The good news is there is a sequel in the works…I had hoped to provide some "previews" but I've had to go back and do some heavy editing. If you happen to see an update to this fic then that's what it is…previews for the next, tentatively titled "Retribution". That way if you are interested in previews you can read, if not…no worries!

Anyway…thank you again for all the fabulous reviews, I REALLY appreciate and love them. It really is a good feeling to know that someone is reading and enjoying something you put so much work into. Feel free to comment on the last chapter! Also, I love all the author/story alerts! That means you like it!

Last chapters Musical Guest: Linkin Park, many people got that one. It's a wonderful song from their new album Minutes to Midnight and SO Ziva its painful. Just like this chapters song is so TIVA its painful. And the artist is at the end this time.

That's enough rambling…on with it! See you in the next one…

CHAPTER 9 – Blue and Yellow

He had paced back and forth, gotten 3 cups of coffee – and only finished each about halfway. After getting checked out in the ER, Tony had been directed to the surgical wing and here he sat. And sat. It was entirely too much thinking time for him. He had time to contemplate how close they had actually come to dying, how close he had come to losing her…without even really knowing her. Now he realized how much he wanted to know her, everything about her, even the parts that would probably make him squirm.

After nearly 3 hours, Tony was relived to see the doctor who had been working on Ziva appear. Immediately he jumped to his feet, meeting the doctor halfway.

"Miss David is doing fine. The surgery went well, it was a through and through wound, which accounts for the significant bleeding and there seems to be little nerve damage."

"She's OK?"

"A couple weeks of rehab and she will be back to new. Her shoulder might tingle a little when it rains, but other than that…"

"Thank you…when I can see her?"

"Once she is settled and the anesthetic wears off, you are free to visit -- just keep it short."

Tony nodded and the doctor left, as Gibbs and McGee filed in, looking to him for information.

"She's OK…" he started, and relayed the information given to him.

"Very good," Gibbs said, and took a seat. Tony followed him…all but slumping into the chair next to his boss. McGee sat across from them, looking equally tired.

"Who was he, boss?" Tony finally asked.

"Top lieutenant in al Qaeda. No surprise they wanted Larsen dead, he was close to locating most of the top brass. Williams' involvement isn't entirely clear yet. My guess is they paid him big."

"And Ziva's father knew who he was?"

"Yes."

"And he told you?"

Gibbs smiled. "Indirectly. Apparently that warehouse had…suspicious ownership that Mossad was aware of."

"And they didn't inform us?"

"I'm leaving that to the politicians to sort out."

Tony just shook his head and rested it on the back of the chair, and in no time, he dozed off. Secure that Ziva would be all right.

Someone shaking him brought Tony back to reality a short time later. Gibbs was looking at him.

"Hey, she's awake. And asking for you."

Instantly, Tony woke up and stood, heading toward the nurse waiting to take him back. Gibbs' hand on his arm stopped him.

"Be careful, Tony." The younger agent looked confused a moment before Gibbs clarified. "She's more fragile than she looks, not just physically."

Tony nodded thoughtfully and continued toward the nurse who led him to Ziva's room.

She was slightly reclined in bed -- her eyes closed, skin pale, but starting to regain some color, looking for all the world like a lost child. He moved next to her bed and sat on the doctor's stool, sidling up as close as he could get, grabbing her hand in his.

She opened her eyes and smiled at him. "You are all right."

"Yeah."

"Good."

"You are going to be fine. The doctor said a little rehab and you'll be back to torturing McGee in no time."

She laughed lightly before grimacing.

"You OK?"

"Yes. Just sore." He nodded and looked at her gravely. "What is wrong?" she asked.

"We came damn close…"

"But we are not," she said firmly.

He gave her a look and gently touched her hair where it sat at her shoulders, lightly twirling the strands. For a second, he thought he saw blood on the dark tresses. "We could have died today, Z. Without ever knowing…"

She smiled. "We have been given a second chance, no?" He nodded. "Let us not waste it."

He returned her smile, and leaned over the railing, giving her a light kiss on the lips. "I don't plan on it."

FIN

and it's all in how you mix the two  
and it starts just where the light exists  
it's a feeling that you cannot miss  
and it burns a hole through everyone that feels it

well you're never gonna find it  
if you're looking for it  
won't come your way, yeah  
well you'll never find it  
if you're looking for it

looking for it

should've done something but I've done it enough  
by the way your hands were shaking  
rather waste some time with you

and you never would have thought in the end  
how amazing it feels just to live again  
it's a feeling that you cannot miss  
well, it burns a hole through everyone that feels it

well you're never gonna find it  
if you're looking for it  
won't come your way, yeah  
well you'll never find it  
if you're looking for it

looking for it

should've done something but I've done it enough  
by the way your hands were shaking  
rather waste my time with you

should've said something but I've said it enough  
by the way my words were faded  
rather waste my time with you

The Used, Blue and Yellow


End file.
